After some false hope that was delivered by two-straight wins in Daniel Jones’ first outings as the starting quarterback, it’s clear that the New York Giants aren’t going anywhere this season.
So much for winning and rebuilding at the same time, which was the promise from general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Pat Shurmur.
The decision-making from Giants management has done nothing but backfire since Gettleman took the reins, with the lone exception being the drafting of Saquon Barkley two years ago.
One of Gettleman’s biggest promises, though, was a 2017 claim that he was going to fix the Giant’s offensive line.
“Let’s not kid each other. I told you at the top, big men allow you to compete and that’s what we’ve got to fix,” he said.
He drafted Will Hernandez, signed Nate Solder, and traded Olivier Vernon for Kevin Zeitler in an attempt to provide some protection for Eli Manning and now Jones.
But it hasn’t been nearly enough.
Out of 72 offensive tackles ranked by Pro Football Focus this season, Solder is ranked 36th while Remmers is 54th.
They’ve low-lighted a Giants offensive line that has allowed 20 sacks in seven games this season, including eight on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Gettleman’s blunders now have the Giants in a position to sell at the trade deadline as the offensive line — like the Jets — is a position that is in desperate need of upgrading.
And Solder, who has allowed five of those sacks this season, seems to be the man getting most of the attention on the market, at the moment.
Granted, there have been rumblings about other veterans that have failed to make an impact in New York, including cornerback Janoris Jenkins and linebacker Alec Ogletree.
According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, the Cleveland Browns would be interested in trading for Solder if they cannot strike a deal with the Washington Redskins for Trent Williams.
The Giants and the Browns have been familiar trade partners in recent years.
They sent Odell Beckham Jr. and Vernon to Cleveland in return for Jabrill Peppers and Zeitler during the offseason.
Solder would call for not much more than a mid-round draft pick, which is a tantalizing enough asset for a team that needs to start building a legitimate offensive line through youth rather than struggling veterans.
